Lethbridge Symphony raising money for documentary

By Lethbridge Herald on November 12, 2025.

Nathan Reiter
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

For more than six decades, the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra has been a pillar of classical music in the community. 

To celebrate the 65 year anniversary, the Lethbridge Symphony has partnered with Bailey and Soda Films to produce Prairie Visions, a documentary film detailing classical music and cultural identity in Southern Alberta. The film will blend oral history and archival materials along with new and revived musical pieces to tell the story.

The film is in the process of raising $65,000 to cover the costs of a commissioned piece by Blackfoot composer Sonny-Ray Day Rider, a recording of the Lethbridge Concerto which was written by the late Dean Blair along with production costs.  

Vicki Hegedus, executive director of the LSO, says the production of the film was something that couldn’t wait much longer. 

“I think it’s almost past due. When the historical committee started looking at a project like this, we started realizing that some of the key people who had either been instrumental, pun fully intended, in starting the Leithbridge Symphony had either moved away, had passed away, were in ill health or a variety of things. We started seeing as a group that there was some sense of urgency to having this film created.”

“Prairie Visions” is being directed by Dr. Jenna Bailey, an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of History at the University of Lethbridge. Bailey’s recent documentary Brainstorm took home a Rosie Award for Best Education Production at the Alberta Film and Television Awards last month. 

The connection between the symphony to Bailey was made thanks to Chris Burton, who is an associate professor of history at the U of L and also serves as the Vice-President on the Symphony’s board of directors and is the chair of the historical committee.

Bailey says she was struck by the depth of the symphony’s impact on both music and people in the Lethbridge area. 

“When we started the oral history project, we interviewed musicians, conductors and community members. It really became clear that this was much more than just the history of the symphony, it was a history of classical music in Southern Alberta. Many of the composers that we interviewed had written pieces inspired by the Southern Alberta landscape and geography. It just became clear that this story needed to be told in the form of a film because it’s such a visually compelling and music-driven story.”

One musical piece that will be a part of the film is the Lethbridge Concerto, which was composed originally back in 1977 by the late Dean Blair who was a former music professor at the U of L. Blair wrote more than 200 musical compositions and one of his pieces was performed for Queen Elizabeth II during one of her Canadian tours. Blair passed away in 2022 at the age of 90. 

Hegedus says the inclusion of the piece was very fitting for the nature of the project.

“I think the Lethbridge Concerto is such a key element. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the project off the ground quickly enough and get the funding to interview him. We felt that his piece of music was perfect for what we were trying to say musically as an element in the story.”

The total budget for the film is $150,000. To date, $50,000 has been raised along with another $35,000 anticipated through pending grant applications. With $65,000 remaining, Hegedus says she’s amazed by the support received to this point. 

Donations of more than $500 can choose to be acknowledged in the film credits.

Prairie Visions is expected to premiere in 2027 with the Symphony performing the score live during the screening. More information on donating to the project by contacting the Lethbridge Symphony box office in person at 1011 4th Ave S, by phone at 403-328-6808 or by emailing executive@lethbridgesymphony.ca